EU reaches virus vaccine deal with CureVac

The EU said Thursday it has concluded talks with German pharmaceutical firm CureVac, aiming to secure 225 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine.

It is the fourth agreement the bloc has reached with companies working on a potential vaccine against the virus, after deals with Sanofi-GSK, Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca.

"The envisaged contract with CureVac would provide for the possibility for all EU member states to purchase the vaccine," the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said in a statement.

An agreement to buy the vaccine will come once it has been shown to be safe and effective, the commission said.